Conventionally, a flat knitting machine in which a large number of knitting needles are arrayed in two rows, front and rear, in substantially parallel to each other is used for knitting a glove. Using such a flat knitting machine, a glove is generally manufactured by sequentially forming a pinky finger pouch-like part, a ring finger pouch-like part, a middle finger pouch-like part, an index finger pouch-like part, a three finger trunk pouch-like part, a four finger trunk pouch-like part, a thumb pouch-like part, and a five finger trunk pouch-like part.
In manufacture of such a glove, a holding bar called “stitch holder” is employed for preventing formation of a hole in a between-finger part between the pouch-like parts. More specifically, after knitting the pouch-like part for a ring finger, a stitch on a middle finger side among stitches of this pouch-like part for a ring finger is retained by the holding bar. The pouch-like part for a middle finger is knitted by a knitting needle in a state of being inserted into the stitch thus retained by the holding bar as well as a knitting needle which is adjacent to this knitting needle on a middle finger side, and then the pouch-like part for an index finger is knitted in a similar way. Thereafter, by releasing the retention by the holding bar upon formation of the three-finger trunk, the ring finger pouch-like part, the middle finger pouch-like part, and the index finger pouch-like part are connected.
However, manufacture employing the holding bar has the following problems.
(1) Adjustment of the holding bar is difficult and complex. Moreover, failure in operation of the holding bar leads to manufacture of defective gloves and a decrease in manufacturing efficiency.
(2) Fabrication of the holding bar itself is difficult. Moreover, the holding bar being an expendable part leads to an increase in manufacturing cost.
(3) In manufacture of a high-gauge glove that requires use of a fine yarn, likelihood of breakage of the yarn due to friction with the holding bar is increased.
(4) In a glove having a structure knitted by using the holding bar, flexibility in the between-finger part is low. In manufacture of a coated glove by forming a coating layer onto a glove being fitted on a model hand, this may lead to defective coating in the between-finger part due to poor fit to the model hand.
In addition, a method disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Application Publication No. S61-32420 is publicly known as a glove knitting method. In this publication, a method using no holding bar in knitting of a between-finger part between a three-finger trunk pouch-like part and the pinky finger pouch-like part is disclosed. Specifically, the method disclosed in the publication is a method in which: after knitting the pinky finger pouch-like part, the three-finger trunk pouch-like part is knitted by a knitting needle which is different from a knitting needle having knitted the pinky finger pouch-like part; in a first one of last two round courses for the three-finger trunk pouch-like part, knitting is performed by using a knitting needle for knitting the three-finger trunk pouch-like part as well as a knitting needle, among the knitting needles having knitted the pinky finger pouch-like part, on the three-finger trunk pouch-like part side and on a front side; and in a second one of the two round courses (last round course), knitting is performed by using a knitting needle for knitting the three-finger trunk pouch-like part as well as a knitting needle, among the knitting needles having knitted the pinky finger pouch-like part, on the three-finger trunk pouch-like part side and on a rear side. Furthermore, the method disclosed in the publication is a method in which tuck stitch is performed for the between-finger part in a first round course in knitting of a four finger trunk pouch-like part, which is knitted after knitting of the three-finger trunk pouch-like part.
However, in the method disclosed in the above identified publication, the first and second ones of the last two round courses for the three-finger pouch-like part are respectively connected to the pinky finger pouch-like part only in either of a front cloth and a rear cloth, easily forming a hole in the between-finger part. In other words, for example in the first round course (a former round course), the three-finger pouch-like part and the pinky finger pouch-like part are connected to each other only with one stitch in the front cloth of the pinky finger pouch-like part, still easily forming a hole in the front cloth. Similarly, in the second round course (a latter round course), the three-finger pouch-like part and the pinky finger pouch-like part are connected to each other only with one stitch in the front cloth of the pinky finger pouch-like part, also easily forming a hole in the front cloth. As discussed above, in the first and second ones of the last two round courses, holes are easily formed in the front cloth and rear cloth respectively, a hole is formed more easily in a synergistic manner in the between-finger part, thus hindering effective prevention of formation of a hole in the between-finger part.
In addition, in the method disclosed in the above identified publication, tuck stitch is performed for the between-finger part in the first round course in knitting of the four finger trunk pouch-like part; however, the tucked part becomes double layered and lacks stretchability and flexibility. As a result, in a case in which such a glove is used for manufacture of a coated glove, defective coating is likely in the between-finger part due to poor fit of the glove to the model hand.
Furthermore, the above identified publication also discloses another embodiment of last round courses for the three finger trunk. In the another embodiment, in the last three round courses for the three finger trunk, the above described first and second round courses (connecting only one stitch on front and rear sides respectively) take place in the former two round courses, and then, in the last round course, knitting is performed using, along with a knitting needle for knitting the three-finger trunk pouch-like part, a knitting needle which was used in the first and second round courses, among knitting needles having knitted the pinky finger pouch-like part. In other words, in the last round course, one stitch is provided respectively on the front cloth and the rear cloth in the pinky finger pouch-like part.
In such a method employing the last three round courses, since the three-finger trunk pouch-like part and the pinky finger pouch-like part are connected to each other both on the front cloth and the rear cloth in the last round course, formation of a hole is less likely compared to the first and second round courses; however, the connection is made only by a stitch on front and rear sides in the pinky finger pouch-like part in the last round course. As a result, in a case in which the yarn is slack, a hole is formed in the between-finger part. Especially in a case of a high gauge glove using a fine yarn, only one stitch on the front and rear sides is not sufficient for fully connecting the three-finger trunk pouch-like part to the pinky finger pouch-like part, resulting in easy formation of a hole in the between-finger part.
In addition, in the above described method employing the last three round courses, since the same plurality of knitting needles (knitting needles for the three-finger trunk pouch-like part and the pinky finger pouch-like part, on front and rear sides, in areas adjacent to each other) is controlled and used for performing different round courses, a structure of stitches becomes complex to tend to give an uncomfortable sensation to a wearer. Furthermore, in a case in which a force is applied in a direction of stretching the between-finger part, the force is not distributed uniformly due to the complex structure and tends to concentrate on a yarn in a specific one of round courses, thus pulling the yarn in such a part and hindering effective prevention of formation of a hole in the between-finger part.
Moreover, as described above, in the method employing the last three round courses, control is required for performing three different round courses, making the control method complex. Especially in a conventionally known flat knitting machine, knitting needles used for each round course is generally selected by a control by a needle selection drum; however, in a case of performing the last three round courses in each of the between-finger parts as described above, there will be too many selection patterns of knitting needles to process by a general needle selection drum, and remodeling of the needle selection drum and the like is required.